


What Jealousy Caused

by EdinaSaunders



Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: F/F, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 20:48:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17794496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdinaSaunders/pseuds/EdinaSaunders
Summary: Autolycus comes into a tavern and finds Gabrielle. Xena, who's a little drunk, misconstrues his intentions and Gabrielle has to stop things before they go too far.





	What Jealousy Caused

Gabrielle sat at their table as she waited for Xena to come back with another round of drinks, most of which she had drank herself. Gabrielle preferred to have her wits about her at all times. "Hello, stranger," came a man's voice from behind her. Gabrielle immediately went on the defensive as she twirled around in her seat to face the man.

"Autolycus, what are you doing here," Gabrielle asked, taking down her guard once she knew he wasn’t a threat.

"Oh, you know, thieving, philandering, the usual," he replied casually, flashing Gabrielle one of his signature, seedy grins.

Gabrielle laughed and rolled her eyes. "You never give up do you," she asked.

"Hasn’t killed me yet," Autolycus quipped.

Xena, now headed back from the bar, stopped short, sending some liquid sloshing out of the cups and onto the already sticky floor. What was Autolycus doing here? And better yet, what was he doing with Gabrielle, laughing, no less?

Xena threw the beverages to the floor, ignoring the angry yells of the tavern's proprietor. She was now dead set on Autolycus. She didn’t trust him alone with Gabrielle. She didn’t trust him alone with any living, breathing female, but even less so with Gabrielle.

The yelling caused both Gabrielle and Autolycus to look in the direction of the bar. There Gabrielle caught sight of Xena, that look in her eye was a familiar one, and Gabrielle knew it could only mean one thing. Trouble. "I think you better get out of here, Autolycus," Gabrielle warned, but Autolycus wasn’t paying attention and Xena was closing in on them fast.

Before he knew what hit him, Autolycus met the wall of the tavern with a hard thump to his back. "Xena," Gabrielle screamed for her to stop, to back off, but Xena was too blinded by the alcohol induced jealousy she was feeling to really listen.

"Gabrielle, a little help," Autolycus choked out. Xena's hand was on his throat.

"Xena, stop it," Gabrielle demanded, getting into her range of view. "It’s Autolycus. He’s harmless."

"Hey," Autolycus said, offended. Gabrielle shot him a quick glare that shut him up. Then she looked back at Xena.

"Please, Xena, let him go. He hasn’t done anything. He’s our friend. Remember?" Xena quickly looked away from her death glare at Autolycus and flicked her eyes over to meet Gabrielle’s. She was getting through to her. Good. "Xena, for me? Just let him go, for me," she pleaded.

Xena dropped her grip on Autolycus's neck and he doubled over, gasping for air for a second. "Thank you," Gabrielle said, quieter now, calmer. "Can we go outside? Get some air?" Xena nodded and followed Gabrielle out of the tavern.

They started walking, pulling Argo behind them, and the cool evening air helped Xena sober up a bit. "I’m sorry," Xena said after the two of them had walked quite a ways in silence.

"I know," Gabrielle replied. "Can you promise me it won’t happen again?"

"Yes. I promise," Xena said earnestly.

"You didn’t think he was going to hurt me, did you?"

"Of course not. Like you said, he’s harmless."

"Then why," Gabrielle asked. Xena shrugged and went quiet. "There had to be a reason. Come on, you can tell me," Gabrielle urged.

"I was jealous," Xena muttered. Gabrielle had been close enough to make out the words, but she wanted to hear them again.

"You, what? I didn’t quite hear you."

Xena flashed a look to Gabrielle. She’d heard her and she knew it, that look said. She wasn’t about to repeat herself. Gabrielle got in front of Xena and stopped walking. "What are you doing, Gabri-"

But Gabrielle didn’t let her finish. Instead, once Xena had gotten close enough, Gabrielle took Xena's face in her hands, and kissed her. "I love you, Xena. You don’t have to worry about anyone else. I’ll always choose you."

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic I wrote for Femslash February 2019. If you want to see more for Xena/Gabrielle, please leave a request. 
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Edina_Saunders_Prompt_Collection
> 
> Comments and Kudos appreciated.


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